Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles with the bat continued in the fifth T20I against South Africa, where the Indian captain managed just 5 runs.

What was supposed to be a confidence-building series before the T20 World Cup has instead turned into a difficult phase for Surya. With the World Cup squad set to be announced on Saturday - and Suryakumar expected to lead the side - his lack of form heading into the tournament has become a talking point.

Suryakumar began the series with a modest 12 runs in the opening match. His troubles persisted in the next two gamesh - he scored only 5 runs in Cuttack and followed it up with another 12-run dismissal in Dharamshala.

The fourth match of the series, scheduled in Lucknow, was abandoned without a toss due to heavy fog.

Across the four innings he played in the five-match series, Suryakumar Yadav accumulated only 34 runs, a worrying return ahead of a major ICC event.

India’s final T20 assignment before the World Cup will be the home series against New Zealand in January, where Surya will be keen to rediscover his rhythm.

Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I numbers

Suryakumar Yadav made his T20 International debut at the age of 31 and has been a regular for India since 2021.

In 98 T20Is, he has scored 2,783 runs, including four centuries and 21 half-centuries, establishing himself as one of India’s most dynamic batters in the format.

As for the ongoing IND vs SA T20I series, India won the opening match under Suryakumar’s leadership before South Africa levelled the contest in the second game. India regained the advantage by winning the third T20 to go 2-1 up.

The fourth match in Lucknow was washed out due to fog, and the series concluded with the fifth T20 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.